[Pythonmac-SIG] making Python Mac-friendly (was: making plug-ins?)

[Bob Savage]

At 11:09 AM 2/10/99 -0800, Joe Strout wrote:
>I'm getting annoyed at all the Python extensions written in C and not
>provided with MacOS versions... annoyed enough to do something about it
>myself, maybe.

It seems to me that there are a lot of modules that either don't work on a
Mac or act differently, and yet these incompatibilities really aren't
documented (In some cases the documentation may exist, but it is scattered
enough to make hunting for it a frustrating experience). I wonder if it
wouldn't be possible to collectively (even gradually) create a FAQ-wizard
for using MacPython which specifically deals with what doesn't work or what
works differently on a Mac.

I think it would be really helpful (especially for beginners to Python, or
those interested in cross-platform development) to have a list of modules
that do not work -- including demo modules, and examples in the standard
reference works (e.g. Lutz, which often has a very Unix-oriented approach).

Eventually people could add alternatives & workarounds to the identified
problem areas.

I believe a tool like this MacPython Compatability FAQ will be very helpful
as the Python community grows (and with it the MacPython community).

Of course, one thing that complicates this is the transition to MacOSX
(which will add a posix layer, presumably a major factor in compatibility).

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